DENVER -- The days surrounding the 4th of July are filled with get-togethers, BBQs, and of course fireworks. But if you push your luck by shooting off illegal fireworks, there can be major consequences.
And not just legal ones.
Aurora Fire Rescue blames illegal mortar-type fireworks for starting a fire that destroyed a home on East Utah Place over the weekend.
"It landed in one of the evergreen-type bushes and those burn very rapidly and very hot. and then it indeed caught the house on fire after that," Lt. Laure Bridges of Aurora Fire Rescue said.
Luckily no one was seriously hurt, though the house may be a total loss. First responders don't want a repeat of that again this year.
"It is kind of scary because it's so dry and it's supposed to be so hot the next couple of days," Bridges said.
A dry field plus kids playing with fireworks in Parker led to a small brush fire on Monday afternoon near E470. South Metro Fire says no homes were effected but it was "100 percent avoidable."
"We teach fire safety at a young age for children that we don't want them to play with matches or lighters, but then for some reason on the Fourth of July, parents are okay with putting fireworks in their children's hands and letting them run off," Eric Hurst of South Metro Fire said.
Denver and Aurora Police say they will have extra patrols out on the nights of the 3rd and the 4th responding to fire claims. APD and Aurora Fire will have several pairs out patrolling specifically for fireworks.
Aurora has a zero-tolerance policy for illegal fireworks, which are any that leave the ground or produce a bang. They will be confiscated, and the person will be issued a summons for a fine upwards of $2,000.
To report illegal fireworks:
In Denver - 720-913-2059.
In Aurora - 303-627-3100
In Arvada - 720-898-6919
In Thornton - 303-538-7602
In Boulder - 303-441-3333
In Fort Collins - 970-221-6540
